Motivating The "What's In It For Me?" Workforce: Managing Across The Generational Divide [Hardcover]

Cam Marston (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Cam Marston (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976646412
• ISBN-13: 978-0976646419
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,115,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cam Marston is the leading expert on the impact of generational characteristics and differences on the workplace and the marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer, he imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. Marston and his firm, Generational Insights, have provided research and consultation on generational issues to hundreds of companies and professional groups, ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, as well as major professional associations, for over 15 years.

Marston's books, articles, columns, and blog describe and analyze the major generations of our time: Matures (born before 1946), Baby Boomers, (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-79), and Millennials (born 1980-2000). He explains how their generational characteristics and differences affect every aspect of business, including recruiting and retention, management and motivation, and sales and marketing.

His first book, Motivating The "What's In It For Me?" Workforce (2005), explores the characteristics and motivations that each generation brings to the workforce and suggests management tactics applicable to any business setting. His next book, Generational Insights (2010) is a guide to the best practices in managing generational issues. Generational Selling Tactics That Work (2011) is the first book-length study of generational approaches to sales and marketing.

Marston's expertise has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, the Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money, and Forbes, as well as on Good Morning America and the BBC. He writes a monthly column for Business Alabama and InvestmentNews and has been a featured columnist in Agent's Sales Journal, PROFIT Magazine, and Multi-Housing News, among others. His blog at generationalinsights.com tracks the latest changes and developments in generational issues and demographics.

As a consultant, Marston has provided generational insight and advice to leadership at the nation's most prominent corporations, including American Express, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, Kellogg, Coca-Cola, Macy's, Warner Brothers, ESPN, Qualcomm, RE/MAX and Eli Lilly. He has also offered presentations and consultations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Army, as well as major professional associations such as the American Bankers Association and the Million Dollar Roundtable. He is an ongoing instructor at Belmont University.

Marston's presentations are informative, engaging, and often humorous. He offers concrete demographic research that is tailored to his audience. But he enlivens the data with anecdotes, tales from the real business world, attention-grabbing visuals, and quips that make the message memorable. Marston's clients consistently report that his research makes his programs relevant and his presentation style makes them interesting and fun.

Marston's insights and expertise are the product of 15 years of research and consultation across a wide range of industries as well as his own early-career background in corporate sales and research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University. He is a native and resident of Mobile, Alabama and a proud member of Generation X.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Reading For Anyone in Management, May 30, 2007

By 

Richard Lyman (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

Like many of my late baby-boomer peers in senior management, we soon will face a workforce crisis as many of our best employees will be retiring in the next five to ten years. Replacing their experience and wisdom will not be easy and we will need to hire from a younger and smaller pool of workers. Some of the things that motivated my generation, stability, predictability and security are of low priority to many younger workers and we will have to learn new tools of management to motivate and retain these employees. Marston's book not only helps us to understand the perceptional differences in generations, but offers concrete advice as to how to adapt to the needs and wants of a younger workforce. The book has also helped me to better understand my children and the career paths they might take. Useful reading for anyone in management, particularly in high-turnover service businesses, and anyone with children about to enter the workforce.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all managers!!!, May 16, 2007

By 

N. Elguindi "reader" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

Marston has a profound understanding of the generational issues in today's workforce. He captures the essence of employee challenges: Communication, then boils it down into simple to understand terms. His framework provides a useful plan for managers to apply to their own strategy in attracting and retaining the right talent. This is a must read book for anyone that wants to get the most from their employees and teams.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing perspective as well unapologetically honest, June 12, 2008

By 

Cynthia S. Lyman "CSL" (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motivating the "What's In It For Me" Workforce: Manage Across the Generational Divide and Increase Profits (Hardcover)

At my company and in my department, the tension between managers and their reports seem to be primarily due to generational differences. This book explains so clearly not only what the differences are, but why members of different generations behave differently and have varied expectations in the workplace.

As someone from Generation X, I was thrilled to find that this book was written by someone from my generation. Marston has clearly experienced the same types of conflicts in the workplace that I do, and he uses many examples to illustrate the sources of conflict.

Not only do I enjoy this book so much that I can't stop talking about it to my friends and co-workers, but I've encouraged my colleagues to make some policy and procedure modifications based on what I've read. I really hope that everyone I work with reads this book because it will help us all to understand each other, and, therefore, work together more productively.